Kelowna

Water park opens for business

Kelowna's newest aquatic play area located near City Park opened for business this weekend.

The 20-year-old owner and operator Rylie Gallagher said there are a couple of things that need to be finished before the setup is perfected, but they had their first paying customers Saturday afternoon.

"We opened in the late afternoon and tried to get some kids out there having fun," he said.

A swimming area remains to be set up around the perimeter of the park and Gallagher plans on adding additional anchors to go beyond the safety specifications laid out by Wibit, the product manufacturer.

A day pass costs $25 per person and children must be at least five to play. It's recommended that children between 5 and 7-years-old have a chaperone with them.

"The gear cost a lot," he said. "But, we're the cheapest admission that Wibit has of all their parks in Europe and Canada. They suggested we raise our price but I just want to get people out there."

Wibit manufactures and sells these products, so Gallagher is the park owner, not a franchisee.

The Wibit website says their products range in cost from about $700 per piece to $90,000 for the larger parks - Gallagher bought the Sport Park 60 which looks like it includes the whole range of products.

The capacity is 60 people and there will be two lifeguards on duty at all times. This was suggested by the manufacturer and not a requirement laid out by the city he said.

"The lifeguards are focusing on being vigilant and making sure no kids get stuck or go under a trampoline - the biggest thing we're watching out for is entrapment," he said.

Their lease runs from May 15 to Sept 15 and they have a three-year contract with the city.

Has he been out for a bounce on the water trampoline himself?

"I haven't been out there as much as I want to, but, I will - I'll get my time," he said.

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